Moto-cabbie charged for allegedly hitting, pulling box-cutter on district official after being stopped for riding on sidewalk (VIDEO)

An unlicensed motorbike cabbie is facing charges after allegedly pulling a knife on a district traffic official and trying to attack him, after being stopped for riding his motorcycle on the sidewalk in the Lat Phrao area on Friday.

Yesterday afternoon, Chokchai police took Sakan Mankong, 39, to the Criminal Court in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district to pursue a temporary 12-day detention while the police interrogate witnesses and wait for a medical report on non-knife-related injuries sustained by the officer, according to Matichon.

The incident occurred at about 3:30pm on Friday, after Sorasak Sura-ubol, a district law officer, stopped and warned Sakan for allegedly driving on the sidewalk near Soi 79 in Lat Phrao, according to police.

The charges against Sakan include physical assault, resisting an official from doing his duty by using force, carrying a weapon without a license, not having a driver’s license, and, of course, riding on the sidewalk, which you might be surprised to find out is not a God-given right in Thailand.

Deputy Bangkok Governor Sakolthee Phattiyakul has since announced that motorcyclists caught driving on Bangkok’s sidewalk will face a maximum fine of THB1,000 (instead of the usual THB500), in hopes that it would help solve the issue of motorcyclists illegally using the sidewalks as their personal shortcuts.

Needless to say, the government’s got a long way to go in their efforts to organize Thailand’s notoriously bad driving manners.